On 'Inscribed' and 'Enacted' Connectivity

This paper serves as a tutorial introduction to the themes and concepts of the special issue on 'Social Networking and Mining'. It is aimed to provide an overview of the type of connectivity that emerges in social media and a reflection on the papers reviewed and selected for publication in this special issue. In this vein, connectivity is approached both in its 'inscribed' form which anchors it as a quality feature embedded in technologies as well as in its 'enacted' form which entails a social accomplishment that materializes as users appropriate technologies and co-engage in a certain practice. Each form points to different issues and entails considerations rooted in various theoretical fields and scholarships. Of particular interest to the present study is how such 'inscribed' and 'enacted' connectivity is traced, revealed and experienced.